The International Observatory on Academic Achievement - Documentary search

File number :
PPEE-PC-12e

Bibliographic reference :
Newcomer, L.L., Lewis T.J., & Powers, L.J. (2002). Policies and Procedures to Develop Effective School-Wide Discipline Practices at the Elementary School Level. CASE?CCBD Mini-Library Series on Safe, Drug-Free, and Effective Schools. Arlington: Council for Exceptional Children.

Abstract :

Schools are responsible for creating a safe and predictable setting conducive to the academic achievement of all students. However, achieving this objective is often compromised by the increasing number of school-wide behavioural problems and by the fact that traditional responses do not always lead to expected outcomes. Using more proactive strategies appears to be a promising avenue. The Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) guidance policy was formulated in that spirit. PBS is a general term encompassing several strategies and interventions that encourage adopting positive behaviour and achieving behaviour change.

Elementary Schools and Behavioural Problems
Elementary schools have an important role to play; in these settings, students at risk of developing behavioural problems can be offered guidance sooner when screened earlier. To do so, infrastructures ensuring preventive and proactive support must be implemented for all students.

How can PBS encourage expected behaviour?
When a school subscribes to the PBS policy, prevention of behavioural problems becomes a top priority on its agenda. Teachers must serve as examples by encouraging positive interactions with students. In schools where PBS has been implemented, expected positive behaviour is defined, taught and reinforced through the Tell-Show-Practice method. The following is a description of each component: Tell – teachers demonstrate expected behaviour explicitly; Show – examples of both inappropriate and expected behaviours are shown; Practice – various situations where children can practice expected behaviour are provided and are rewarded if proper behaviour is adopted. Specific types of behaviour are also expected in non-classroom settings, for instance the playground. Each school chooses the type of positive behaviour to encourage that best suits problems specific to its own distinct situation, such as the behavioural problems most prevalent among its students.

Teachers also have enough leeway in their classrooms to exercise differentiation. Students exhibiting more serious behavioural problems are supervised by a team responsible for developing a personalized intervention plan. To do so, a committee is formed expressly for the PBS policy. This committee is comprised of various school players who received special training.

Both teaching and administrative staff members are very important. School administration also has an important role to play as a leader in promoting this policy and giving it top priority. In this context, schools are not isolated, because a district coordinator will see to it that they are in touch with other resources and people they might need.

Results of PBS Implementation
PBS was implemented actively in more than 500 elementary schools in the United States. The authors of this research project presented several studies showing that in certain schools, improvement in behaviour and students’ academic results was observed. For instance, one study demonstrated a 42% reduction in behavioural offences resulting in discipline reports. In another study, researchers noted a 65% to 75% reduction in out-of-school suspensions and in-school detentions.

The authors concluded by emphasizing that the emergence and persistence of many behavioural problems can be prevented later by encouraging the adoption of prosocial behaviour as early as elementary school; in turn, it can contribute towards the successful educational outcome of a greater number of students.

Key Words :
Behavioural Disorders, Proactive Strategies, Prosocial Behaviour, Positive Behaviour Support (PBS), Reinforcement, Leadership, Prevention, Personalized Intervention Plan, Primary School, Elementary School, Newsletter5

Monitored Countries :
United States